The present invention generally relates to walking aid devices with sensors, and more particularly to a device that provides biofeedback about the grasp of a user, when used in conjunction with a walker. The device is used for treatment of patients with poor or impaired motor skills and senses.
Walking aids are generally used by elderly people and by people who are affected by diseases such as hemiplegia and who have sustained leg injuries. Although the use of the walking aids may be temporary in some cases, people affected by acute hemiplegia or other similar diseases may need to use them for longer periods. People affected by such diseases have limited use of their arms and hands due to loss of their range of motion, muscle weakness, or sensory loss. During rehabilitation, patients usually try to walk with the help of walking aids, such as a walker device, a walking stick, or a crutch. These walking aids may include sensing devices to get a feedback of the patient's condition based on grasping strength, load distribution, etc.
Several walking aids with sensors have been developed in art. For example, U.S. Pub. No. 20050077345 to March discloses a walker distance measuring device for quantifying the movement and the travel of a patient using the walker. The device is to be installed upon the walker. The device comprises a wheel assembly, a measuring assembly and a display. The wheel assembly is capable of attachment to a walker, and includes a support and a wheel. The measuring assembly comprises a sensor having a trigger associated with one of the support and the wheel and a pickup associated with the other of the support and the wheel. A processor is electronically coupled with the sensor. The processor is capable of interpreting the information received from the sensor. The display is associated with the processor for displaying results. The nature of the biofeedback information, i.e. the distance measurement of the walker provided by this device is different from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,481 to Luther discloses a walking cane with sensors for supporting a patient and as well as for providing a biofeedback. The walking cane includes a handle, a vertical shaft, and multiple legs. Each of the legs is associated with electronic stress/load sensors that are coupled with an electronic processing module. The electronic processing module evaluates the input from the cane legs and activates a warning to the user in the event that the load sensors on the legs detect a load distribution indicative of an approaching unstable situation. The user can then stop and probe with the cane until a stable position is found. The feedback provided by this apparatus is based on measuring the load distribution among the legs of the walking cane unlike the present invention, which is based on the measurement of the grasping strength of a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,571 to Adrezin discloses a method and apparatus for gait measurement of a patient. A walking aid such as a walker, cane, or crutch is instrumented with load sensors to measure the loads in the aid as it is being used. The measured loads are used to analyze the user's gait to insure proper selection and sizing of a walking aid, stability of the user, and proper limb loading. In a preferred embodiment, strain gauges are mounted on the legs of a walker and connected through a signal processing interface to a computer for data analysis and display. The gauges are mounted, calibrated, and connected to the signal processing interface so as to permit measurement of the axial, bending, and torsional forces in each leg of the walker as it is being used. This data is then used for qualitative and quantitative assessment of the user's gait. The feedback provided by this apparatus is based on the measurement of the load distribution in the legs of the walker, which is different from that of the present invention, which measures grasping strength and alerts the patient in case of insufficient grasp.
Although many walking aids associated with feedback sensors have been developed, the object of the present invention is to provide a bio-feedback device for assisting the treatment of patients with impaired ambulatory sense, when used in conjunction with a walker.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bio-feedback device, which assesses grasping strength of a patient.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a biofeedback device, which alerts a patient using the walker when his/her grasping strength is below an expected level. These and other objects of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the appended Summary, Description, and Claims.